Keef Hartley Band — Halfbreed Founded: 1968 in EnglandAlbum release:1969 Deram / 2008 Cherry Red RecordsRecorded:October and December 1968 Remastered:2008Record Label:Deram / EsotericDuration: 58:07Tracks:01. Sacked a - Introducing (arr.by Hartley)b - Confusion Theme (Hartley, Cruikshank)c - The Halfbreed (Hartley, Dines, Cruikshank) - 7:5702. Born To Die (Dines, Hartley, Thain, Hewitson) - 10:0103. Sinnin' For You (Hartley, Dines, Hewitson, Finnegan) - 5:5404. Leavin' Trunk (Estes) - 5:5705. Just To Cry (Lowther, Finnegan) - 6:2206. Too Much Thinking (Finnegan, Dines, Thain) - 5:3207. Think It Over (King)/Too Much To Take (Speech) - 5:34Bonus Track:08. Leave It 'Til The Morning (Hewitson, James, Hartley, Thain) - 3:32Personnel:•Miller Anderson - Vocals, Guitar•Peter Dines - Organ, Harp •Spit James - Guitar•Gary Thain - Bass Guitar•Keef Hartley - Drums•Henry Lowther - Trumpet, Violin •Harry Beckett - Trumpet•Lynn Dobson - Tenor Sax, Flute•Chris Mercer - Tenor Sax•John Mayall - voice on "Sacked" and "Too Much to Take"Credits:•Miller Anderson Guitar, Vocals •Bob Baker Original Cover Photography •Harry Beckett Trumpet •Larry Beckett Trumpet •Paschal Byrne Remastering •Peter Dines Composer, Harpsichord, Organ •Lyn Dobson Flute, Sax (Tenor) •Sleepy John Estes Composer •Keef Hartley Composer, Drums, Leader, Liner Notes, Reissue Assistant •Alex Hewitson Composer •Spit James Guitar •Henry Lowther Arranger, Brass Arrangement, Composer, Trumpet, Violin •Adrian Martins Assistant Engineer •Chris Mercer Sax (Tenor) •Mark Powell Reissue Coordination •Richard Sacks Photography •Neil Slaven Producer •Phil Smee Package Design •Gary Thain Composer, Guitar (Bass) •Derek Varnals Engineer ¶ Keefova kariéra začala nahrazením Ringo Starra v Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, populární liverpoolské kapele. Později hrál a nahrával s The Artwoods, kde dosáhl pozoruhodnosti, jako John Mayall´s bubeník před uskupením The Keef Hartley Band, mixujíxí jazz, blues a rock´n´roll do jazz-rockového zvuku srovnatelného s Blood, Sweat, a Tears and Chicago. Skupina hrála na Woodstocku roku 1969 a nahrála 4 populární alba zahrnující Halfbreed a The Battle of North West Six.¶ V listopadu 1974, Briský muzikantský magazín, NME, reportuje o tom, jak Hartley, který byl dlouho neaktivní od doby, co se jeho skupina rozpadla v roce 1972, zformoval novou skupinu s názvem Dog Soldier. Nahráli jedno album, pojmenované po kapele, Dog Soldier roku 1975.¶ Roku 2007, Hartley napsal autobiografii, "Halfbreed (A Rock and Roll Journey That Happened Against All The Odds)". Hartley líčí o svém životě, vyrůstání v Prestonu a jeho kariéře bubeníka a kapelníka.--------------------------------------------------------------------¶ Keith "Keef" Hartley (8 April 1944 – 26 November 2011) was an English drummer and bandleader. He fronted his own eponymous band, known as the Keef Hartley Band or the Keef Hartley Big Band, and played at Woodstock. He was later a member of Dog Soldier, and variously worked with Rory Storm, The Artwoods and John Mayall.Biography:¶ Keith Hartley was born in Preston, Lancashire. His career began as the replacement for Ringo Starr as drummer for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, a Liverpool-based band. Subsequently he played and recorded with The Artwoods, then achieved some notability as John Mayall's drummer (including his role as the only musician, other than Mayall, to play on Mayall's 1967 "solo" record The Blues Alone. He then formed The Keef Hartley (Big) Band, mixing elements of jazz, blues, and rock and roll; the group played at Woodstock in 1969.¶ They released five albums, including Halfbreed and The Battle of North West Six (characterised by a reviewer for the Vancouver Sun as "an amazing display of virtuosity"). After that Hartley released a 'solo' album (Lancashire Hustler, 1973) and then he formed Dog Soldier with Miller Anderson (guitar), Paul Bliss (bass), Derek Griffiths (guitar) and Mel Simpson (keyboards). They released an eponymous album in 1975, which had a remastered release in early 2011 on CD on the Esoteric label.¶ In 2007, Hartley released a ghostwritten autobiography, Halfbreed (A Rock and Roll Journey That Happened Against All the Odds). Hartley wrote about his life growing up in Preston, and his career as a drummer and bandleader, including the Keef Hartley Band's appearance at Woodstock.¶ Hartley died on 26 November 2011, aged 67, at Royal Preston Hospital in Preston.Discography:Keef Hartley Band:•Halfbreed (1969)•The Battle of North West Six (1969)•The Time Is Near (1970) - UK #41•Overdog (1971)•Seventy-Second Brave (1972)•Not Foolish, Not Wise (2003)Solo:•Lancashire Hustler (1973)Little Big Band:•Little Big Band (live at Marquee Club) (1971)Dog Soldier:•Dog Soldier (1975) UAS 29769, recorded at Island Basing Street Studios, London, 18 Nov. - 15 Dec. 1974Biography by Rovi ¶ b. 8 March 1944, Preston, Lancashire, England, d. 27 November 2011. Together with Colosseum, the Keef Hartley Band of the late 60s forged jazz and rock music sympathetically to appeal to the UK progressive music scene. Drummer Hartley had already had vast experience in live performances as Ringo Starr’s replacement in Rory Storm And The Hurricanes. When Merseybeat died, Hartley was enlisted by the London-based R&B band the Artwoods, whose line-up included future Deep Purple leader Jon Lord. Hartley was present on their only album, Art Gallery (now a much sought-after collector’s item). He joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and was present during one of Mayall’s vintage periods. Both Crusade and Diary Of A Band highlighted Hartley’s economical drumming and faultless timing. The brass-laden instrumental track on John Mayall’s Bare Wires is titled ‘Hartley Quits’. The good-natured banter between Hartley and his ex-boss continued onto Hartley’s strong debut, Halfbreed. The opening track, ‘Hearts And Flowers,’ has the voice of Mayall on the telephone officially sacking Hartley, albeit tongue-in-cheek, while the closing track ‘Sacked’ has Hartley dismissing Mayall! The intervening music features some of the best ever late-60s jazz-influenced blues, and the album remains an undiscovered classic. ¶ The band for the first album was comprised of Miller Anderson (b. 12 April 1945, Johnston, Renfrewshire, Scotland; guitar and vocals), Gary Thain (b. 15 May 1948, Wellington, New Zealand, d. 8 December 1975, Norwood Green, Middlesex, England; bass), Peter Dines (b. 17 December 1944, Hertford, England, d. 28 January 2004; organ) and Spit James (guitar). Later members to join Hartley’s fluid line-up included Mick Weaver (aka Wynder K. Frog) organ, Henry Lowther (b. 11 July 1941, Leicester, England; trumpet/violin), Jimmy Jewell (saxophone), Johnny Almond (flute), Jon Hiseman (who guested on percussion and congas) and Harry Beckett. Hartley, often dressed as an American Indian, sometimes soberly, sometimes in full headdress and war paint, was a popular attraction on the small club scene. His was one of the few British bands to play the Woodstock Festival, where his critics compared him favourably with Blood, Sweat And Tears. The Battle Of North West Six in 1969 further enhanced his club reputation, although chart success still eluded him. By the time of the third album both Lowther and Jewell had departed, although Hartley always maintained that his band was like a jazz band, in that musicians could come and go and be free to play with other aggregations. ¶ Dave Caswell and Lyle Jenkins came in and made The Time Is Near.... This album demonstrated Miller Anderson’s fine songwriting ability, and producer Neil Slaven’s excellent production. They were justly rewarded when the album briefly nudged its way into the UK and US charts. Subsequent albums lost the fire that Hartley kindled on the first three, although the formation of his Little Big Band and the subsequent live album had some fine moments. The recording at London’s Marquee club saw the largest ever band assembled on the tiny stage; almost the entire British jazz/rock fraternity seemed to be present, including Chris Mercer, Lynn Dobson, Ray Warleigh, Barbara Thompson and Derek Wadsworth. By the time Seventy Second Brave was released, Anderson had departed, having signed a contract as a solo artist. He was clearly the jewel in Hartley’s crown (or headgear) and the cohesion that Anderson gave the band as the main songwriter, lead vocalist and lead guitar was instantly lost. Future recordings also lacked Slaven’s even production. Hartley and Anderson came together again in 1974 for one album as Dog Soldier but Hartley was largely inactive in music for many years apart from the occasional tour with John Mayall and sessions with Michael Chapman. In the mid-90s he had a carpentry business in Preston, Lancashire, and although it was alleged that he no longer owned a drum kit, attempts were made in the mid-90s to re-form the original line-up of this highly undervalued band (which certainly warrants reappraisal in the 21st century). However, the reunion never transpired, and Keef Hartley died on 27 November 2011 at the age of 67.